It's About The Children, Stupid!
by James A. Landrith, Jr.
November 1, 1999
Recently, several high profile cases have brought the issues of transracial adoption back to the forefront of that greatest of American obsessions – RACE. For years, a debate has been raging in America about the high numbers of orphaned black children in state and private care and more specifically about whether whites should be allowed to adopt and love these children.
In 1994, President Clinton signed into law, the Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA). This act was an extremely flawed liberal attempt at fooling the public into thinking that the cult that is race in America had been removed from the adoption process. Surprise, surprise. It wasn't. Not a bit. Not even a little, teeny, tiny bit. In fact, MEPA, as passed in 1994, made the practice of race-based matching of children to adoptive parents legal under certain circumstances and even provided a form of cover for those who wanted to continue practicing race-based matching. In 1996, Congress attempted to fix this problem by enacting a law prohibiting states or any organization receiving funds from the federal government from denying or delaying a child placement based on the race of the parties involved. In effect, it is now supposedly illegal to discriminate on the basis of race when placing children into adoptive homes. That doesn't stop those opposed to transracial adoption from finding new, more covert ways to discriminate.
The theory behind matching children to parents of the same race can be stated simply, "you can't prepare a minority child for the rigors of life in a white racist society unless you are of the same race as that child." Okey-dokey? Sounds reasonable enough, right? Only if you believe in the cultural competency myth that racistly stereotypes all blacks as having the same culture of music, religion, and politics and promote a cookie-cutter model of a true, government approved African-American identity. Sounds a bit too much like the possible futures described in Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" or Ayn Rand's "Anthem" to me. It scares me to the libertarian core of my being.
Harvard Law Professor Randall Kennedy said it best in this paragraph from his September 15, 1998 testimony before the Subcommittee on Human Resources of the House Committee on Ways and Means, Hearing on Interethnic Adoption:
"There are a variety of problems with this notion of cultural competency. For one thing, it puts officials in the position of attempting to prescribe "racial correctness." Fortunately, there exists no authoritative criterion by which to measure what sort of ideas or conduct can certifiably be deemed to be properly "black" (or "white" or "yellow" etc.). African Americans (like the individuals constituting all groups in American society) vary tremendously. Many like gospel music or rap. Many do not. Many celebrate Kwanza. many do not. Many live in predominately black neighborhoods. Some do not. Many are Christians. Many are Moslems. The idea that public or private child welfare officials would homogenize the varied African American community and then impose that homogenized stereotype upon white adults seeking to provide children with adoptive homes or foster care is a frightening prospect. Worse still is that this dubious concern with cultural competency is often nothing more than a pretext for racial matching, a way to continue the racial steering of needy children without expressly saying so."
Those behind the push for race-based matching like to use the cultural competency argument over and over again. They even use it against interracial couples attempting to adopt black children when one partner is white and the other black. They have no empirical data to back it up being necessary or even helpful. They like to say that black children adopted by white children have a tough time and never fully adjust to being a black person in America, that they are, in effect, damaged goods by association with white parents. Again, no empirical data to back that up either.
The National Association of Black Social Workers is the most vocal group opposed to transracial adoption. This hateful organization not only favors leaving black children in foster care indefinitely, rather than let them be adopted by loving non-black parents, but has also made disparaging comments about multiracial self-identification recently, invoking that favorite of racial separatists, the one-drop rule. On Friday, September 25, 1998, at Roosevelt University's conference entitled "Colorlines in the 21st Century: Multiracialism in a Racially Divided World", Johnny White, President, Chicago chapter of the National Association of Black Social Workers stated that there is no such thing a biracial person in America. No such thing? How pray tell, does a white woman give birth to a black child? An Asian woman? A Native American woman? Here we are, back to the old magic blood theory again. This organization, the National Association of Black Social Workers, beloved by white liberal child welfare officials everywhere is no better than a common Klan organization in it's treatment of multiracial Americans. Apparently, racial discrimination is fine as long as it's levied at those "uppity mixies" who think they're better than black Americans as well as those horrible, horrible people who marry interracially in an attempt to breed black Americans out of existence. Give me a break. If those sentiments were expressed by a white person, he'd be labeled a racist, but when those sentiments are uttered by a black person or organization, liberals rush to embrace them in order to seem progressive and non-racist.
Let me be blunt. Telling multiracial people that they don't exist IS RACIST. Discriminating against white couples trying to adopt a black or biracial child IS RACIST. Creating arbitrary and generic "cultural competency" tests IS RACIST. Classifying people for the sole purpose of discriminating against them IS RACIST. Seems to me that the primary mission of the National Association of Black Social Workers isn't social work – it's racial separatism. People like Johnny White have no idea what the child welfare system is about. He, along with his white racist liberal counterparts think it's about cultural competency tests, "Brave New World"-like conformity and making sure that multiracials identify as black. I know what it's really about. It's about finding loving homes for children who are sick of being shuttled from foster home to foster home, some good, some bad, but none permanent. Simply put, IT'S ABOUT THE CHILDREN, STUPID!
James Landrith is the notorious editor and publisher of The Multiracial Activist and The Abolitionist Examiner, two cyber-rags dedicated to freedom from oppressive racial categorization. Landrith can be reached by email at: editor@multiracial.com or at his personal website/blog.
{jos_sb_discuss:12}
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 1999 00:21:44 EST
From: Todd Thompson
Subject: it is about the children
If it was about the children, wouldn’t you be out to protect the children? You are out to protect the parents. All the problems you talk about would never be it parents would stay within their own race. Race relations would be better also. The most beneficial course for the children is to tell parents to stay in their own race. Then to tell mulatto children that lots of blacks have white in them, so they are black to. It is the best for the children. Are you after the children’s best interest, or your own?
Todd Thompson
Editor: Todd, I believe your viewpoints would be better appreciated by people like Don Black of Stormfront or Matt Hale of the World Church of the Creator. Thanks just the same, but I’m not interested in that kind of silliness.
Date: Tue, June 3, 2003 7:30 pm
From: Lorraine Mayes
Subject: It’s about the children stupid
My dear Mr. Landricth,
I am currently doing research in cutural competence issues in child welfare. I am a Social Worker and have been in Child Welfare for over ten years. Though I do agree with some of your article, there are some things I would like to point out. I am multiracial ( Cherokee, black and caucasian) and I know first hand of the racism of this country. I do agree that a child would be better off in a loving home rather than staying in foster care or living in a residential setting regardless of the race of the family they are living with. However, I also feel that white families who adopt children of color should learn about that child’s culture. I have seen too many children of color come into the agency with their hair matted or their skin ashy because their white family did not know how to properly care for their skin and hair and had no desire to learn Yes, there is different skin and hair care of people of color. For one thing, you can not wash their hair everyday because it is basically dry. Lotion must be applied daily to the skin or it will become ashy. A little thing but important. Yes, there are many different cultures within the Black community, but there are also some sameness. It is all about the children but unfortunately, we still live in a racist society and though I would love to see a child in a permanent home as opposed to foster care, I can’t see a child of color living in a racist community that won’t accept him/her because of the color of their skin. I have even had a young white adoptive father tell me that he would raise a child of color as white. How can one do that? People of color have been deprived so long of their history ( the truth) that it is very important to allow a child of color to learn about their history. Native Americans have been accused of being barbarians when in reality, it was the Europeans that were the barbarians. Instead of being so negative of The National Association of Social Workers, why not try to understand their point of view? Why call them hateful because they are trying to protect our children? How would you feel if you wefe accused of being lazy, shiftless and no good only to find out that your people were the foundation that helped build this country? I had a white grandfather whom I never met because I was black. My mother didn’t meet him until she was grown. He still wouldn’t acknowledge her and she was his only child but he thought nothing of lying down with my grandmother and imprenateing her. Before you go on assumptions, why not sit down with a person of color and listen to their point of view?
Why are we a minority but there are more black children in foster care? Is it because they are poor or Black? As for telling mutoracial people that don’t exist is racist, remember, it was your people who decided who was black and who was white. I am an American, my people were here first. You have no idea what we go through and apparently you don’t want to learn. You see the world through white eyes. Yes, it is about the children, stupid! I am enclosing an e-mail that was sent to me. Read it and try to understand.
Lorraine H. Mayes
Subject: FW: Fed up with African Americans?
>
>
>
> Subject: FW: Fed up with African Americans?
>
>
>
> This article is very interesting, especially for Black History month
>
> Fed Up with African Americans
>
> A very humorous and revealing story is told about a group of white
> people who were fed up with African Americans, so they joined together
> and wished themselves away. They passed through a deep dark tunnel and
> emerged in sort of a twilight zone where there is an America without
> Black people. At first these white people breathe a sigh of relief. At
> last, they said,
>
> No more crime, drugs, violence and welfare. All of the Blacks have
> gone!
>
> Then suddenly, reality set in. The “NEW AMERICA” is not America at
> all-only a barren land.
>
> 1. There are very few crops that have flourished because the nation
> was built on a slave-supported system.
>
> 2. There are no cities with tall skyscrapers because Alexander Mils, a
> Black man, invented the elevator, and without it one finds great
> difficulty reaching higher floors.
>
> 3. There are few if any cars because Richard Spikes, a Black man,
> invented the automatic gear shift, Joseph Gambol, also Black, invented
> the Super Charge System for Internal Combustion Engines, and Garrett
> A. Morgan, a Black man, invented the traffic signals.
>
> 4. Furthermore, one could not use the rapid transit system because
> it’s procurer was the electric trolley, which was invented by another
> Black man, Albert R. Robinson.
>
> 5. Even if there were streets on which cars and a rapid transit system
> could operate, they were cluttered with paper because an African
> American,
>
> Charles Brooks, invented the street sweeper.
>
> 6. There were few if any newspapers, magazines and books because John
> Love invented the pencil sharpener, William Purveys invented the
> fountain pen, Lee Barrage invented the Type Writing Machine and W. A.
> Love invented the Advanced Printing Press. They were all, you guessed
> it, Black.
>
> 7. Even if Americans could write their letters, articles and books,
> they would not have been transported by mail because William Barry
> invented the Postmarking and Canceling Machine, William Purveys
> invented the Hand Stamp and Philip Downing invented the Letter Drop.
>
> 8. The lawns were brown and wilted because Joseph Smith invented the
> Lawn Sprinkler and John Burr the Lawn Mower.
>
> 9. When they entered their homes, they found them to be poorly
> ventilated and poorly heated. You see, Frederick Jones invented the
> Air Conditioner
>
> and Alice Parker the Heating Furnace. Their homes were also dim. But
> of course, Lewis Later invented the Electric Lamp, Michael Harvey
> invented the lantern and Granville T. Woods invented the Automatic Cut
> off Switch. Their homes were also filthy because Thomas W. Steward
> invented the Mop & Lloyd P. Ray the Dust Pan.
>
> 10. Their children met them at the door-barefooted, shabby, motley and
> unkempt. But what could one expect? Jan E. Matzelinger invented the
> Shoe Lasting Machine, Walter Sammons invented the Comb, Sarah Boone
> invented the Ironing Board and George T. Samon invented the Clothes
> Dryer.
>
> 11. Finally, they were resigned to at least have dinner amidst all of
> this turmoil. But here again, the food had spoiled because another
> Black Man, John Standard invented the refrigerator.
>
> Now, isn’t that something? What would this Country be like without the
> contributions of Blacks, as African-Americans?
>
> Martin Luther King, Jr., “by the time we leave for work, Americans
> have depended on the inventions from the minds of Blacks.”
>
> Black history includes more than just slavery, Frederick Douglas,
> Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey & W.E.B.Dubois.
>
> PLEASE SHARE, ABUNDANTLY!
The great thing about what I wrote and what you wrote is that I didn’t say what you seem to be projecting my way with regard to cultural competency. I agree that cultural competency is important. Of course, HOW you define cultural competency matters. Regional differences, urban vs. rural, religious differences and economic experiences all intersect with race. Assuming there is a cookie-cutter authentically “black” culture is adhering to stereotypes and erases experiences. You seem to be speaking from one very super specific experience and claiming it is the default. Maybe, don’t do that.